Safety Improvements Coming To Dangerous Ocean Parkway/Church Ave Intersection

Two months after neighbor Patricia Ngozi Agbim was killed while crossing Ocean Parkway/Prospect Expressway at Church Avenue, the New York State Department of Transportation, in coordination with the New York City Department of Transportation, has finalized plans for safety improvements at the intersection. These include:

• A pedestrian refuge area will be installed on the north side (the Prospect Expressway side) of the intersection. The island will provide a stopping point for pedestrians and will shorten crossing distances. New pedestrian signals will be installed on the island, along with protective barriers and new pavement striping to reduce travel lane widths and provide space for the refuge area.

• Installation of high visibility crosswalk markings on the north side of the intersection.

• Addition of new flashing signals with yellow arrows for right turning vehicles, warning motorists to proceed with caution and yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.

• Installation of new “Traffic Signal Ahead” signs along Prospect Expressway, and speed limit signs on Ocean Parkway.

• Replacement of warning signs.

Final design of the project will be completed next month and construction is expected to start this fall.

The NYSDOT says it has commenced a broader study to identify opportunities for safety enhancements at 38 intersections along the entire length of Ocean Parkway, and will work with the New York City Department of Transportation to implement any recommended improvements.

These changes come after residents voted for safety improvements during a round of participatory budgeting, and a renewed push following the recent fatality, which has included a rally and a petition. And improvements cant’s come quick enough– six pedestrians were killed on Ocean Parkway between 2009 and 2011 — more than on any other road in Brooklyn — according to Tri-State Transportation Campaign’s Most Dangerous Roads for Walking report.